Joshua C. Cook

William Reis just wants to be a Guild Smith, a dream shared by generations of Reachers. When he breaks a law older than any other, he unleashes a torrent of danger that just might destroy not only him, but the only family he has left....

Stealing a shard of a dead god’s blood should have been enough adventure for a lifetime. For William Reis, it was just the beginning. William has a single goal in his life, to succeed where generations of others have failed, and gain admittance to the Smithing Guild of Palnor....

Generations have passed since the Unsundered god, Sartum, destroyed the City in Blue, the center of mortal use of magic. The betrayal of Sartum by William Reis and Myriam VolFar in the waning hours of that conflict has shaped the world of Alos and continues to do so....

Welcome to Alos–a world torn between the thriving, magic-free lands of the North and the untamed, mystical realms of the South. Under the vigilant guidance of Sartum, the Unsundered, the North flourishes, protected from the dark corruption of magic by the Anchors....

Once a hero, Kael Veyne walked the streets of Avelmar adorned in triumph. War-mage, lover to Lady Elira, he rose from humble birth to the kingdom’s highest honors—until a single night of courtly treachery destroyed everything.

Layten and his friends Hopwell and Wix are somehow still alive, though not anywhere they want to be. After the battle of the Guardians in the House of Knowledge everything Layten thought was upended, as the Priest Vilom, the "Voice of Sartum" has started a crusade....

Danger, action, and magic come together to bring an epic conclusion to the Forgemaster Cycle. The unthinkable has happened. Everything that William Reis had worked so hard for, undone by one of his closest friends. Amder was gone, Duncan was gone, and even Regin was gone....

Generations ago, a fateful decision was made that set events in motion that could destroy everything. Now, the unsundered god Sartum is determined to undo that choice, and it's up to an unlikely group of heroes to stop him....

Victory! Hard-fought, and a close thing, but victory all the same. But why did William feel so horrible about it all? He had Amder back to the world. He, William Reis, was made the new forgemaster of Amder by the God himself....

In a world where the gods hold all the power, Layten and his friends thought they understood the rules. But after being captured by the most powerful caster in Alos, Calmar, they find themselves trapped in a land where magic reigns supreme....

Shunned for their connection to the evil that is magic, Anchors are not welcome anywhere in north for long. The ability to absorb magic, to destroy magical creatures, and even "see" magic will eventually drive them mad, and lead to their entering the descent....